HILLSBOROUGH, NC — Everybody’s heard the one about building a better mousetrap and having the world beat a path to the associated door – but how about the one about building a better sex toy and earning a $100,000 prize and free We-Vibe?That’s the road to success that participants in the Better Sex Homemade Sex Toy Design competition offers, thanks to the efforts of the Sinclair Institute and Bruce and Melody Murison.

The Murisons are the creative minds behind last year’s innovative sex toy sensation, the We-Vibe.

Like an increasing number of clever and industrious people, the Murisons found themselves unemployed after being laid off by Nortel Networks. Also like an increasing number of clever and industrious people, the couple needed a way to make money and keep their minds active. This lead to the mortgage of their home and the eventual creation of the We-Vibe; a vibrator perfect for use during intercourse.

“We see the same trend,” Martin Smith, marketing director for the Sinclair Institute’s BetterSex.com website observes in a press release. “Adult toys is a creative and growing field innovating on scale with video games.

Last year the company’s Better Sex Toy of the Year award was presented to the Murisons – and now the Sinclair Institute is looking for the next great sex toy design/engineer.

“We want to find and help as many cool designers as possible,” Smith explains. “We know that there are creative homemade toys out there and one of them could be worth $100,000. Wish I had had that kind of help.”

Those concerned that their brilliant idea might be stolen may take some comfort in Smith’s assurances that the contest will protect intellectual property rights.

“We leave copyright with the creator as we do with our Fiction Contest,” Smith assures. “We are granted a limited release to anonymously publish designs for a community vote. Rights to the design only transfer when we have a winner and if they sign a licensing deal.”

More information about the contest, which currently has no closing date, can be found at BetterSex.com/contest/homemade-sex-toys.html#sextoycontest.